• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.297-310
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• 2021

This study explores the characteristics of within-school and across-school science teacher professional learning communities (hereafter, PLC) qualitatively. In-depth focus group interviews were conducted with science teachers belonging to seven PLCs within the science core school and three PLCs across schools. Interview questions include identity and motivation, major activities, and outcomes of PLC, as well as shortcomings and support plans for PLC. The results include both within-school and across-school science teacher PLCs formed for professional development related to science teaching and learning. Both science PLCs participated in the study showed the characteristics of a 'practice community' that developed a cooperative relationship through reciprocal participation, focusing on shared issues among members. Regarding issues, within-school PLCs focused on microscopic problems such as curriculum reconstruction of subject-matter, while across-school PLCs focused on macro problems such as teacher professional development. Regarding activities and roles as PLC, within-school and across-school science PLCs shared such features as collaborative professional development, and interpersonal education such as mentoring for novice teachers. In terms of PLC's influence and outcomes, science teacher PLCs has a positive effect not only on the teachers themselves, but also on the students and the teacher culture in the school. In addition, science teacher PLCs need improvement of the physical conditions for community operation, and software support such as protocol provision for PLC operation and joint research or re-education with universities. In particular, joint research between universities and science teacher PLCs shows the future orientation of the PLC as an 'inquiry community'. Based on the results, the necessity of active support for science PLC, the necessity of developing a cooperative system between science teacher PLC and universities, and ways to spread the PLC of science core schools to that of general schools were proposed.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.447-461
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gender, science achievement, perceptions of science, and out-of-school experience on middle school students' science career aspiration. We conduced a survey on 181 middle school students and investigated whether there was a difference in perception of science and out-of-school experience according to science career aspiration, and derived the eight variables from survey items based on exploratory factor analysis. And we conducted a logistic regression analysis that explains the effects of eight derived variables, gender, and science achievement on science career aspiration. The result of analysis showed that only two factors such as 'interest and preference for science learning' and 'use of everyday tools' were significant to explain science career aspiration. It has thus been found that it is important to increase students' interest in and preferences for science learning and use of tools in everyday life in order to increase their science career aspiration.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.376-400
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• 2014

This study aims to examine the current status of Korean and overseas science and arts convergence programs in and out of schools to apply them in school education settings and to learn about the characteristics of overseas programs through case studies. In addition, it explores implications of the current domestic and overseas for implementation in schools. For this study, we selected 193 domestic in-school science and arts convergence programs and 106 domestic out-of-school programs. For the overseas programs, we selected those conducted by the government, research institutes, science halls, and art galleries. We also analyzed the domestic in-school programs by type of students, operation hours, areas of convergence, and the function and role of arts activities. We analyzed domestic out-of-school programs by operation time, operation method, areas of convergence, and type of activities. Moreover, we examined the overseas programs in terms of their program developers, goals, and characteristics. These findings suggest that in order for science and arts convergence education to become well established in Korean schools, it is necessary to develop programs that can be incorporated into the present science education curriculum, rather than individual content or a single class on science and arts convergence, and to diversify the range of programs. In addition, out-of-school programs should be actively considered, and intense discussions on the use of program activities and teaching materials are needed. Finally, research institutes and educational institutions should be closely linked to achieve a common goal.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.506-514
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• 2006

purpose of this work was to study the applied effects of out-of-class Chemical Experience Learning (CEL) Programs on scientific process skills and science-related attitude for middle school students. The out-of-class CEL Programs which were developed to make the funny out-of-class chemistry and the exciting science class', included the nature-friendly chemical experiments suitable for natural environment and composed of real life-centered experiences. The out-of-class CEL programs were applied to natural environment through all-day improvement activity. The science club students in D middle school in Busan were selected as the objects of the study consisting of one experiment group and one control group. The out-of-class CEL programs were applied to the experiment group and traditional class method was applied to the control group. The change of scientific process skills and science-related attitudes between two groups were compared and analyzed. And students reaction on the out-of-class CEL programs was investigated. As a result, out-of-class nature-friendly chemical experiments were improved scientific process skills and science-related attitudes of middle school students. Also, more than 70% of students in the experimental group gave positive feedbacks to the out-of-class CEL programs and increased attention, interest, and degree of self-participation in science.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.453-464
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• 2017

The purposes of the study are to investigate the experiences of major stakeholders (i.e. science teachers, program instructors, local experts, etc.) who participated in implementing Community-Based Socioscientific Issues Programs (SSI-COMM) and to provide educational implications for further implementation. SSI-COMM dealt with three issues (i.e. abandoned pets, fine dust, and recycling) that students often encountered in their local community. Each program, lasting over 16 class periods in a free semester, included in-school and out-of-school activities in order to promote their interest and participation in community. Four teachers, four program instructors, and six local experts joined the interviews to explain their experience of participating in the programs. As a result, school teachers, program instructors, and local experts positively appreciated their experiences of the program implementation and perceived educational potentials of SSI-COMM. All the stakeholders mentioned that they became more interested in local socioscientific issues and strongly perceived the need for the implementation of such programs linked to their own community. The science teachers appreciated the opportunities to identify students' potentials through SSI-COMM and believed that SSI-COMM would contribute to reducing the gap between learning and practice. The program instructors, observed that out-of-school activities contributed to enhancing students' self-confidence and fulfillment in learning. Finally, the local experts obtained a sense of belonging to their community and were very satisfied with their contribution. The SSI-COMM programs are expected to be one of the educational models that will help to encourage the participation of students and stakeholders in facilitating educational activities in relation to the community.

• Journal of Science Education
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.356-375
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to develop the informal education based elementary gifted education program utilizing local resources in Yeongheung island for enhancing the creative problem solving, science process skills, scientific attitudes. This program was totally consisted 36 lessons and 3 part. For this purpose, 7 weeks' informal gifted education program utilizing local resources was treated to a class students who were 5th graders of elementary school in Yeongheung island. The results of this study were as follows : First, the change of science creative problem solving ability in the gifted class was found statistically meaningful difference. Second, science process skills were showed statistically meaningful difference. Third, scientific attitudes were not showed statistically meaningful difference. Fourth, the student responses about effectiveness of this programs were generally positive. Therefore, the gifted education programs showed meaningful results. Based on the results of this study, a number of studies to overcome the limitations will be needed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.740-753
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• 2022

This study was conducted to develop and apply an out-of-school STEAM program model based on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) for underprivileged students in the lower grades. To this end, a STEAM program based on SEL was developed, with the following characteristics. First, by integrating traditional STEAM learning elements and SEL elements, a structured program was designed with consistent stages, including mindfulness meditation→present an authentic situation→creative design→emotional experiences→reflection. Second, the program was structured so that elementary school students could develop mathematical thinking and scientific inquiry skills in problem-solving situations in daily life. Third, the detailed themes for each STEAM program involved storytelling-based problem situations, as well as activities centered on play and sympathy to reflect the educational needs of underprivileged students. From these characteristics, a total of five programs were developed and applied to 16 teachers and 354 lower-grade elementary school students in 16 community children centers nationwide. The results were as follows. First, while students' satisfaction with the STEAM program was 4.16, there were no significant differences in STEAM satisfaction according to gender. Second, while all students' interest and self-efficacy, which was one of sub factors of STEAM attitude, were significantly improved, no significant difference was seen in STEAM attitudes according to gender. Third, although students' SEL competencies were not significantly improved, relationship skills, which were among the sub factors of SEL competencies, were significantly improved, and there were no significant differences in SEL competencies according to gender. From these results, a discussion on the effect of the out-of-school STEAM program for underprivileged students and directions for follow-up studies was suggested.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.7 no.8
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• pp.215-225
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• 2007

The portability and immediate communication properties of mobile devices such as UMPC influence the learning processes in interacting with peers, accessing resources and transferring data. This study explores the pedagogical potential of UMPC, being utilized in inquiry-based learning process in elementary school setting. Inquiry-based teaming, offering a powerful option for occasional projects and lab activities, is a style particularly well-suited for out-of-school programs because they have a freer hand to complement, enhance, and expand on the work that children are doing in their K-12 classes. A set of questionnaires measuring the level of interest and class achievement were answered by the students before and after the inquiry-based science class in elementary school. Statistical results show that most of the students prefer UPMC-based class to the traditional class. Some guidelines for effective UPMC-based class are also provided.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.279-293
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• 2019

This study investigated the effects of national science leading school programs on students' positive experiences about science (PES) and teachers' perceptions of curriculum implementation factors affecting students' PES. For this study, Test for Indicators of Positive Experiences about Science (TIPES) was administered to a total of 11,488 students from 117 national science leading schools and 1,315 students from 50 normal counterpart schools. In addition, a total of 105 teachers were given a survey asking their curriculum implementation levels and perceptions on importance and performance levels of each identified factor that was known to influence students' PES. Students' total PES scores and scores in five sub-components of PES were widely varied across science leading school program types. In general, participating teachers reported common curriculum implementation factors that most positively affected students' PES including 'science-related activities out of school,' 'student-centered research projects,' 'ICT-related materials' and 'performance assessment.' Based on these results, implications for science education were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.234-241
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• 2002

The purpose of the study is to investigate the applicability of portfolio assessment to ordinary elementary science classes, and the effects of a portrolio assessment on students' science achievement, inquiry ability, and science attiudes. Two schools were sampled from a metropolitan area, a city, and three schools from rural area in central Korea. Two fifth-grade classes were sampled from each school selected, and one class is assigned to experimental group and the other to control group, respectively. The total number of participants of the study are 475. Portfolio assessmest was administered to experimental group, and conventional teaching to control group for two and half month. Science achievement test, science inquiry ability test, and science attitudes test were administered as a pre- and post-test. Portfolio asseddment seems to be applecable to ordinary elementary science classroom. Statistically meaningful difference was not found in students' science achievemant by group, region, and sex. Students' inquiry ability and science attitudes showed statistically meaningful difference by region rather than group. Experimental group showed more positive scores on some sub-domains of science attitudes, such as perception on science education, and science career, interests in science activity, and criticism. In conclusion, portfolio assessment can be applicable to ordinary dldmentary science classrooms. The effects of portfolio assessment are at least the same as the traditional teaching on student science achievement, inquiry ability, and science attitudes.